Friday, August 31, 2007

If you haven't tried Golden Eagle yet, you really should. We went last weekend and I have been dying to go back ever since. It is Mongolian stir fry, and you get a bowl when you are seated. You go to the bar and fill your bowl with your choice of meats and veggies. Then you sprinkle on your choice of seasonings and choose your sauces. In just a few minutes, a chef cooks it up on a huge grill in front of you. You also choose your starch (I chose fried rice and added an egg for 50 cents) and then you get a large bowl with all of your meat, veggies and starch stir fried together. It is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it. My only complaint is the kids' menu. It is limited to a kids bowl from the bar or macaroni and cheese. They need to add another choice. Otherwise, I LOVE this new place. It is a definite favorite.

It is only $8.99 for one bowl or $12.99 for the endless bowl. I got the regular bowl but added extra fried rice and an egg. I received so much food, I ate some left overs that night, another full meal of left overs the next day AND Phillip had a little bit of my leftovers the next day. I would have had enough to take some home without the extra rice. Thus I'd say it is a good deal.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Today was the Mother's Day Out open house. Phillip took the day off and we brought both girls to see just what Milesy would be experiencing. She went in there and played like a champ. We met her teacher and saw where she'll have her nap and snacks. They also did a little tour. I was familiar with the other stuff, but Phillip got to for the first time where Miles will be doing yoga, aerobics and zumba. Yeah, I said Zumba, as in the Latin dance. Can you even imagine? I just can't quit cracking up when I think about Miles doing yoga. She loves it. I just keep thinking that she is the kid who is going to toot really loud in front of everyone. You know what she will do if she does pass gas in front of them? She won't be ashamed. No. My child will simply say, "Scuse me! I tooted," and move on. That's Milesy for you. You try to teach them to always say excuse me and they learn to ALWAYS say excuse me. Maybe I should work on good old fashioned denial for in-public toots from now on, you think?

So tonight is the first night of Lola sleeping in her new room. I was really worried that she would cry and fuss; however, being the sweety-pateety pumpkin-head boss hogg sleepy head that she is, she went to sleep easily. She is in there sleeping like an absolute log. I am so proud of her. Miles, on the other hand, is still pulling her little stunt that she started last week. She is in our room, sleeping with Phillip while I sit up doing this. UGH. Now if I can just coordinate the two of them, I will be flying high.

The time has finally come. I almost have my own dedicated studio. All of these years, I have worked in my kitchen or living room of my house with things thrown around everywhere, making a total cluttered mess of my abode. No more. As of the past couple of days, I have actually accomplished setting up my studio upstairs. Finally.

This is a huge deal to me, people. I have my OWN area of the house where things can permanently stay AND they aren't in the middle of our living area. No more mountains of beads, huge work table or mannequins making it hard to get into the utility room. No more bumped noggins on the corner of my table, all in the name of trying to sneak a juice box from the fridge. No more feeling mortified when someone comes over, since my normally large kitchen had become a tiny perimeter surrounding a jewelry studio.

I am so happy.

Things are going VERY well. I have a meeting with Reeves-Sain next week about my jewelry and I am already confirmed to put my stuff in Leslie's Shoppe in the next week or two. This is a big deal. I really, really need to be able to make a somewhat dependable monthly income on this "hobby"; these developments definitely point me in that direction. I also got so much publicity from the MTSU Pigskin Preview. It was worth every penny of being a sponsor.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

We had a lot of fun at the MTSU thing. It was fine for the first two hours but then it began to pour huge drops of rain and people went pouring into the hosts' house! Thus the party was over because it was a large crowd. My door prizes were a great thing because the man kept announcing my name and Brownbag Studio and commenting that it was some beautiful custom made jewelry, yada, yada. I was very pumped! There was also a sign with the sponsors listed and my name was listed as Dusty Brown & Brownbag Studio. They spelled it right! YAY!

After it was over, we ran home and Phillip changed shirts since he was soaked. We headed over to Bluesboro where there was a party for Beth Murphy's 30th birthday. We hung out in the little private room off to the side, so we didn't have to fight for seats or sit in the middle of a dark, smokey area. That was a big improvement. Sometimes it can be terribly hard to keep a seat in that place. Plus I don't think we reeked of smoke nearly as much as normal.

I made some great contacts last night. I met a friend that I had never hung out with before and she was super funny and cool. I also got an opportunity to talk to Leslie from Leslie's Shoppe. We had talked briefly a few times and she was uninterested in selling my jewelry, but after last night...BIG NEWS HERE...I will be selling jewelry in Leslie's Shoppe. I am super stoked. This is the opportunity that I have been trying for since last year! Things are really falling into place for me. I have gotten a lot of good exposure lately.

I have a good feeling about everything right now. Today and tonight I worked really hard to get most of my jewelry stuff moved upstairs into one of our bedrooms. We are turning it into my studio. Right now, the kitchen has become my studio and it was totally cramping us. Hopefully this will make me more productive. We''ll see!

I just love that show. I wish it came on year round. REALLY! It is so addictive. I am a what-if kind of person. I am also most likely to keep up with programs that are not just once a week. I have a hard time remembering to tune in once every seven days.

I REALLY want Danielle to win. I just adore her. She is so sweet and I think she has a good heart. I mean, I know she sorta started a relationship with Nick while she has/had a boyfriend on the outside, but I think that is just one of those things. I mean, they do seem like a really good match. I hope she and Nick get together after the show! I would LOVE to see that!

I can't imagine that her boyfriend is still thinking they will be together at this point. She and Nick didn't have any nasty shower scenes or anything, but they clearly connected on an emotional level. I am just so sad he is gone from the show.

I really dislike Eric. If that God-awful hair doesn't get me, the eyebrow will. I just really want him to go home.

So I have recently learned that several other ladies I know consider themselves to be insomniacs. They all report that their husbands sleep fine. Hmmmm. This makes me wonder. Why is it just us?

Today, I learned that two different people I know take Tylenol PM so that they can go to sleep at a regular hour. This is not scandalous;. I have been known to take Benadryl. Or other stuff in my medicine cabinet left over from miscellaneous surgeries LOL. However, I was surprised they told me. Tylenol PM knocks me out for like a day and a half. Tylenol PM is like Meprergan to me. Give me a darvicet, I'm fine. Sometimes even Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy. But give me some tylenol PM and I'll see you in a couple of days.

Now let me ponder for a minute something else I am confused about. When you have surgery, the doctor gives your medicine because you will have pain. Why have I encountered person after person who feels that they can not take it? I don't mean to sound like a junky, but if I am going to be laid up in the bed recuperating, I am going to be in the zone, via some prescribed medications. I am just saying...

Thursday, August 23, 2007

I now have peg boards hanging in my house. I can hang my jewelry up so that I can keep a better inventory of what I have made and what I need to work on. Yay! Happy Day! Here is a closeup of just one section...and then a total picture...

The other day when my mom told her I would be there to pick her up shortly, she responded that she wasn't going home yet because they hadn't picked the butter beans yet. She told her Mawmaw that she needed to spend the night again because Mawmaw needed her to pick the butter beans with her. There were no butter beans in needed of picking. It was just a ploy to get to stay.

She loves to "pick the butter beans". (*See previous entry about inviting herself.)

We have a dvd called "Blues's Job". It is about what you can be when you grow up. Miles loves it, and we often have to watch it all day long. However, she doesn't ask to watch "Blue's Job". Instead, she comes up to you with her finger inquizatively positioned on her head and says she wants to watch, "What Blue Gonna Be Today?"

Anyway, she has long since professed that she wants to be a doctor. Then occassionally, since seeing this Blue's Clues episode, she says she'll be a doctor AND a teacher. Sometimes, after we have serenaded Lola, she will announce that she will be a showgirl. (Get it? Her name is Lola, she is showgirl...)

So today, here is the dialogue:

Miles: Daddy, when i grow I up I will be big like you.Phil: Well, yeah, but I am a man. Little boys grow up to be men. Your a little girl.Miles: Hmmmmmmmm.Phil: What do little girls up to be?Miles, with zero hesitation: Little girls grow up to be doctors.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Today while at my parents' house, Lola busted her lip and Miles fell and hurt her cheek.

As described by ma mere: "I thought Lola might be climbing the back stairs and I sent Miles in there to check. (My mother was probably cooking in the kitchen.) Next thing I know, I hear Miles practically dragging Baby Lo-Lo, who is crying, and Miles tells me she fell. I think Miles tried to bring her to me against her will."

My mom has yet to overcome the fact that "she let Miles burn her hands" while trying to make me some Rice Krispy treats after a hard day (emotionally) at work. When the movers drove away from the house we sold, I had forgotten that United Van Lines always honks! When they honked as they drove away from my house, I lost it. LOST IT! Then I had to go to work. I was a basketcase. See, because my daddy built houses, I have this emotional attachment to dwellings. He didn't build my house bc his health wasn't great when we built it, but he had done sooo much.

Anyway, to this day, Miles will come into the kitchen and say, " Oh! The thingy is red! I have to get away!! You might let me get sprinkles like Mawmaw did!! Mawmaw let me get burned-ded on that ol' stove!" (Quote will mean more in a minute, I swear!) Miles referred to her palm burns as "sprinkles". (After my mom removed the pot from the stove, Miles went over and laid both hands palm-down on the flat-top stove where they had been cooking. I got a message at work to bring children's Tylenol bc they had a mishap; at the time I was working to make sure that we were secure if my husband left his miserable job. I came home to my baby, aspleep in Mawmaw's lap with her hands submerged in a pan of ice water.)

Phillip and I could not afford to spend a bunch on landscaping, so they had a totally professional landscaping job put in at our house. My daddy came over and surprised me for my first Christmas with handmade shelving that went over the double doorways display my stuff. My parents painted my whole entire house for me in my reds and yellows. Momma and Daddy came rolling up with Milesy's first swingset on the trailer when I was pregnant with Lola. Daddy planted me a special tree for outside my kitchen window, and it grew to be like 20' tall, that oak tree did! They also took care of our hail damage repairs...so Phil and I could keep State Farm's $3800 check for other stuff. It was just a labor of love. So I cried.

But back to the point, for those of you that don't know, my parents have a set of stairs right inside their back door. This staircase is a set of cajun stairs, which means it is for convenience only and they are very steep and tiny. They are not safe for a baby, and even though there is a door at the bottom for privacy, the door is sometimes left open.

The upstairs in their house is just two rooms: a huge "bedroom" (which is really a huge open space that they use for the computer/office, a tv, a microwave, two old iron beds for guests plus clothes in the closet) and a bathroom. In other words, when we had to live there for a week in between houses last Christmas, it was like our own apartment. I could even pop popcorn in private. LOL. There is no gate at the top of the stairs, so Lola is not supposed to go up there ever without an adult. However, the baby girl can climb. Oh, and classic to my parents, antique collectors and auction Fuh-REAKS, about half of the room is separated by standing screens and hides an insane pile of belongings that they don't know what to do with. Classic. Que the Samford and Son song, please.

But really, one day I'll go on Antiques Roadshow and find out some crap they had all these years is worth a mill. For those that are unfamiliar, my youth was spent at local estate auctions. My niece has a bed that came from the Crosslin sale of about 1990 in Eagleville; I have a dresser that is tigerwood maple. My sisters have some gorgeous furniture. My parents have a really awesome sense of style. They are both totally artist. Find me a house in Murfreesboro or Louisiana built by my dad and you will see, they always produced a NICE product. However, and here's the good part...my dad ALSO liked to buy the mystery boxes. You know what they are, right? Who'll gimme, who'll gimme, who'll gimme five dollars for this box of old quilting scraps. I tell you who'll give you $5. V. DEAN FELDER will!!!!!!!!!!! (Like my middle name, the V. shall reamin a mystery, as it is not his preferred name. Hint: It isn't Vernon or Victor or anything else you'll guess...)

Granted, I shouldn't say those things. Because one day, I WILL own the antique checkerboard that hangs proudly on their wall. It is an old tabletop that someone painstakingly drew a checkerboard on in probably the great depression. It is awesome, and I love it. There are just always a few random dishes that I ask about that always solicit the same response...which is, "Oh! Daddy had to have those at that ol' auction over on 231 where the Harold's used to live." My mom is not as much of a fan. Though she is a fan of inserting "that ol' " in describing almost anything. Like as in, crackheads, "smoke that ol' dope", Pamela Anderson is, "that ol' trash, Pamela whatever," etc.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

OK, so when Miles was a baby, we called her Birdie, Monkey, Boo Boo, Milesy, Baby Doll. You name it. Lola is also a monkey. They are climbers. They both want to climb all over the treadmill. At least it is seeing some human touch. LOL.

Anyway, Lola is such a daredevil. She will do anything that she perceives as being risky. I swear. That child is so luckily she hasn't broken a bone yet. She will be climbing up on the bar stools and standing in the swiveling seats before I know it.

This weekend is over and I am so sad. i mean, Friday was just yesterday. Not literally, but it seems that way!

On a good note, I sold a travel system on Craigslist and think I have a Travel Lite bassinet sold, too! Yippee! I now love Craigslist.

I did get our shower curtain up the other night. YAY. We can use our own bathroom again. it looks nice. It is 'brushed bronze'. Fancy!

Lola has busted out with several new words this weekend. Yesterday, I scolded her, "no, no, Lola. No climbing up the stairs. You need to get your booty back down here right now." Do you want to know what she did? She said, "Bad! Bad! (pause) Bad! Bad! Bad!" Then when Phillip tried counting to stop one of them for doing something wrong, he said, "One. Two." Before he could go on, she flung that little arm up, pointed at Miles and screamed, "Three!!!!!" It sounded more like "tree" but is was still "three"!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Today's highlights include buying a new showed curtain rod and liner since ours collapsed and broke last week. Problem is, I forget to buy more clips, and some of the metal clips didn't survive the fall. Doh! So now I have my lovely rod but can't hang my curtain. This makes me so irritated. UGH!

Another highlight included when Milesy fell in Walmart and slammed into the ground chin first. It was horrible. She immediately--like by the time I could grab her up off the floor--had a bruise under her chin and a large red puffy spot surrounding her whole chin. I felt so bad. The floor wasn't wet or anything. She just missed her little step and went flinging forward. Ouch!

Yet another part of our day to remember is of Lola in her new gown. Buddy she is proud of that gown. It is green and long sleeved with little monkeys all over it. Precious!

So today was the first day of school for our very special favorite little cousin. The report is that she did very well with no crying or bad anxiety melt down over saying goodbye in the classroom. Oh, well, that was about her momma, but the little girl starting school did really well, too, and loved it!

On Saturday night, the day before my birthday, Phillip (old nickname P-Funk), Missi (still nicknamed Missi Misdemeanor) and I (Dust) went to Fuji for hibachi! Yum! This is something I really wanted, but Miles is afraid of the flame as of the last two times we went. My mom called before lunchtime and offered for the kids to go spend the night, so that was really nice of her. After, we went to Missi's new house and chilled. Her boyfriend, Matt, came over after he got home from Nashville and we hung out til kind of late. It was fun but we all kept yawning. We really are getting on up there, I guess, LOL.

Anyway, on Sunday, we went to golden Corral for lunch and then visited with Phillip's parents before heading home for a brief nap. (My allergies has been flaring up like crazy since before Fuji, thus I had taken a LOT of allergy medicine and was exhausted.) After our little siesta, we headed to my parents' house for dinner. My mom made me swiss chicken as the main dish and a chocolate cake with white icing. It was a great day!

Today we went to Kroger around the time Phillip was heading out from work. Now first and foremost, in case you don't have children, let me explain something. They know, people. They have a little mind clock that tells them exactly what time someone should be home. They start anticipating Daddy's arrival home precisely one hour prior to his arrival, which means right about the time he departs the office. Anyway, this is sweet, but can spell disaster when he is late. They have a T-total meltdown when he doesn't come Hi-Honey-I'm-Home-ing it at 6 PM sharp.

Anyway, today we came in the door from Kroger right around 6PM, and heard a noise that sounded sort of like my cell phone. It was actually my set of hummingbird wind chimes, and I quickly realized this, but Lola did not.

As her tiny little almost 15-month-old butt toddled in the door in front of me, she, too, heard the chiming. She, too, thought it was my phone. Her instinct kicked in that he would be home soon, if not already, and in the funniest moment all day, looked up, around, every which way, while craning her little neck. Then she begin to announce loudly, with one fist to her ear like she was holding a phone, "Lo? Da-ddy? Lo-ooooo? Da-dyyyy? Lo? Da-ddy?" ("Lo" was short for hello, like she was answering a phone!) By the way, her little fist was up to her left ear with her thumb cocked out, ready to suck at any second if he didn't reply!

It was worth a million bucks as she investigated the living room and her empty hand holding her imaginary phone, looking for Da-ddy's voice on the other end or in the house somewhere.

Literally, I just want to go every single day. It is like I tan all the time but spray tanning literally takes like five minutes including getting prepared, getting sprayed and getting dressed again. A-MAZ-ing, I tell you. Amazing!

Being tan makes me feel so much better about myself. It is a splurge that is paying off immediately. I can already tell that I am going to be one of their clients that comes in for spray tanning four times a week.

Monday, August 13, 2007

So a friend of a friend suffered a terrible tragedy yesterday. I do not know the parents personally, though I am involved in Artsy Mama's with the mom and some of my friends know them well. Anyway, their little three year old boy drowned. I don't know any details about how or why, but my friends said the mom is doing better than expected and seems really strong. I don't know how. It is just the most horrible thing ever. UGH.

It just seems surreal to have to acknowledge that you won't be hugging that baby again. It would be easy to just give up living yourself. How sad.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

I love the feeling after I workout with the weights but GOD I hate making myself get in the car and go over there. Tonight I did not get home until 10:20 because I had to get some groceries at Walmart after going to the Y. UGH! At least now I don't have to go on Friday night! YAY!

Milesy is once again spending the night at Mawmaw and Pop-Pop's house. This morning she says, "Momma, don't fuh-get my suitcase, 'cause I'm stayin' the night at Mawmaw's."

This was before any mention of the event to my parents. Later, when we saw my Mom's car out shopping, this jewel came out: "Momma, go on and put my car seat in her car, 'cause I'm staying the night at Mawmaw's for a slumber party tonight."

I am so happy that I will once again be getting Radar in the mailbox on a monthly basis. I really loved Radar. I loved the article on Walt Disney World employees and anothe on International Male clothing.

OK, so while I gloat about my fridge, you can feel a little better knowing this one irritating factor, though helpful it may be.

I go in there and get something, arrive back on the couch or wherever, and immediately begin hearing, "ee-ah ee-ah ee-ah ee-ah" over and over again.

UGH! This is my fridge telling me that I did not properly close the door. Yes, it helps me keep my food cold/frozen properly. However, it always sucks to turn around and go shut the door. You know, sometimes in life, you just want to forget that you left the door open until you finish your popsicle.

Lola got two bobo's today and it just broke her little heart in two. A decoration that my mom had sitting in her window fell off the edge when Lola started banging on the glass and hit her on the head. She just cried brokenheartedly for about 30 seconds but then as soon as she realized she was in her momma's arms she was ok. Awwww!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

OK, so there is this lady in town, and I guarantee, if you ask anyone between, OHHHHH, 27 and 34, they will know who she is. The only problem with that, is the ldy is at least 50.

Probably a good 55.

Anyhoo, this lady is known bc she always has a sportscar and nails done to the max and blonde hair and miniskirts, etc. She is super nice, however, I am not sure she should wear miniskirts anymore. Just a thought.

The reason everyone knows her is bc she cruises around in her sportscar like the chic in the thunderbird in American Graffitti. She is just who she is, and she is very recognizable.

So the question is, how old is too old? I mean, I know I dress younger sometimes, but for the love of God, I am only *almost* 31!

OK, so here is the story behind my headline about Jolene not havin' nothin' on my boots...OK, Here it goes: 1.)Jolene is Jolene from the song. She steals other womens' men. 2.)The boots story is in regards to these boots that I had that were really high heeled and were 'snake skin' and I called them my stripper boots just because of the height. One night I went to dinner to celebrate a friend's new job. There was this girl there named Rachel. She wasn't the most naturally attractive girl you ever met (that's for sure) but that's irrelevant (not really). We were part of a group and she got kinda of smarty when I asked if she knew my best friend who is from the same tiny town but claimed not to know my friend so I just dropped it. Later, we were suppossed to meet everyone downtown. Meredith (girl with the new job) got a call while we were sitting there wondering where they were. The girl said, and I really do quote, "I don't like that girl Dusty OR her boots so I am not coming." Then a year later, I was at a bday party. I went to the restroom with a friend; there was an empty spot at the table next to me. When we came out, she had sat down. She took one look at me and snatched up her belongings and huffed down to the other end of the table. THEREFORE...it has been a huge joke for a long time bc she was just psycho and hated me immediately bc people were complimenting my clothes and boots and she was homely. 3.) Girls like my husband; they like him in a forget he's taken kind of way. There have been a whole bunch of times when we have been out at night and some girl from college or his work or something will see us and be all drunk and basically forget that-HELLO- he is married and I am sitting RIGHT THERE. I actually had this chic named Amy lean down between the two of us one night at this bar Wall Street when we still just engaged and she turned sideways while leaned over, back to me, tits to him and straight up made him so uncomfortable that he mentioned like three times that I was his fiancee. This has happened a bunch of times. It is weird. It is oddly common that some drunk girl makes an idiot out of herself by flirting and such with my husband. 4.)THEREFORE...Jolene ain't got nothin' on me and my boots...BC those girls think they are a bunch of Jolene's but they aren't...cause I am the one with the snake skin stripper boots. LOL. Oh, AND I am the one with Funkmaster P...Phillip. LOL.

OK, so I went into Old Navy to get some workout shorts and they had three signs saying 50% or more off yet they were only maked 25% off. I found a close employee and asked. I was very nicely informed that the people putting up the signs either 'don't pay attention or run out of the right signs' and told that the tag is right.

Whatever.

I just stand my ground that this is terribly misleading. EVEN though I admit that I was not complaining about the price, just the misleading sign telling me they were a better bargain thatn they really were.

Oh, and this was nice: "Most people can't figure up the math so we never really get complaints."

OK, so let me just say that I never even thought about the fact that weight training would affect my posture. However, every time I go workout, I have the most wonderful posture afterwards. I walk in a manner that is so much more proper. It is really awesome.

My time with my trainer is done. I met with him for about 6 weeks but I am not going to continue. It is just not realistic for someone on a single-income budget to pay the hourly fees they charge. Phillip and I each did 5 or 6 meetings with him and we can't afford to keep paying $40 a meeting for now. However, we both left with a definate plan and a file at the Y that we can access ourselves every time that we go in. So today I went in and got my little file and worked out. It was awesome to feel like I knew what I was doing. And I actually do things that I NEVER thought I could do. I mean, the first time he had me on a machine that holds my feet in place while I lunge over upside down and then bring myself all the way back up again, I laughed and asked him if he was joking...but I can do it. In fact, I do three sets of ten. I love it. I am looking a little better, by the way, even though there hasn't really been a change in poundage. I am slimming up some, I guess, but gaining muscle mass. Rock on.

Lola is anxiously waiting by the window for her Daddy to come home. She chants his name like he's a rock star and stares out the window, looks at the clouds, cranes her neck to get as close as possible to the glass to look in all directions for his car pulling up.

One problem.

Bless her little heart.

She has planted herself at the BACK window, which means unless he accidentally comes crashing through our privacy fence out back, he won't be pulling up in front of her anytime soon.

So I am sitting here on the couch, next to my hazel-eyed beauty, as oppossed to my blue-eyed cutey, and I am getting my upper left arm sprayed with Coca Cola. WAIT. Hold on. Change that to my whole left thigh is soaking as we speak. Another day, another spill.

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